Help: Looking for new eyepieces for Meade

tmac · Guest

I have a Meade DS114 w/autostar and would like to upgrade the eyepieces. I currently have the MA9mm, MA25mm and a 2X barlow. How good are the MA series eyepieces? I'm looking for more power/quality for planets and a good quality/size eyepiece for deep stuff. Could someone give me some suggestions? Also maybe some filters if needed? I was considering Plossl's, maybe a 5mm or 6mm for planets and a 20mm or larger for the deep stuff. Does this sound close?
Thanks for any suggestions....

opticsplanet.com · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 5:20 pm Post subject:

Hi

The MA (modified achromats) are an inexpensive eyepiece, but they will not be as optically good as a standard Plossl design, nor will they have quite the field of view. As Plossls go, the Meade Series 4000 are about as basic as it gets and are reasonably priced. The new Series 5000 offer wider 60 degree fields of view and are good buys, considering the FOV.

You are in the right neighborhood on the eyepieces. I generally don't recommend pushing a 114mm scope much beyond 150x for the sake of image quality, but you could probably still get some useful detail with a 5mm eyepiece (about 200x) under ideal conditions, though I would opt for something more like a 6mm (166x) for a top end. On the low end, a 20mm or 25mm makes a good eyepiece for the faint stuff.
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